ANALYSIS OF JUDICIAL SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE - ANALYTIC STUDY FOUR - FINAL REPORT, 1977

• NCJ Number: 52929
• Author(s): T R CLAY; M J NETTLETON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 85 pages
• Contract Number(s): DOT-HS-052-1-068
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Admin
• Corporate Author: Phoenix (AZ) Alcohol Safety Action Project
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) CASES IN THE ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECT (ASAP) IN PHOENIX, ARIZ., IS ANALYZED.

Abstract

THE PROJECT HAD TWO OBJECTIVES: (1) TO DESCRIBE THE DWI ADJUDICATORY SYSTEM, CONCENTRATING ON THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, AND (2) TO ANALYZE JUDICIAL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE DURING THE PROJECT'S 5-YEAR OPERATIONAL PERIOD, WITH EMPHASIS ON EVALUATION OF THE PROSECUTION ALTERNATIVE TO COURT TRIAL (PACT) PROGRAM. A SERIES OF INTEGRATED COUNTERMEASURES INVOLVING MANY COMMUNITY AGENCIES WAS INCORPORATED IN THE PROJECT. THESE COUNTERMEASURES INVOLVED ENFORCEMENT, EFFORTS IN THE JUDICIAL AREA, REHABILITATION, LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY PROGRAMS, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND EDUCATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT. THE ADJUDICATION OF DWI CASES IN PHOENIX INVOLVED SEVERAL INTERRELATED CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMPONENTS, INCLUDING ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE MUNICIPAL COURT, SUPERIOR COURT, A REHABILITATION-PROBATION CENTER, THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, AND THE PACT PROGRAM. THE HANDLING OF DWI OFFENDERS ENCOMPASSED ARREST, PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION (PRIOR RECORDS SEARCH), ARRAIGNMENT, PREPACT ADJUDICATION, PACT ADJUDICATION, TRIAL, PACT DISPOSITION COURT APPEARANCE, AND DWI PROBATION. OF 50,299 ARRESTS BETWEEN 1972 AND 1976, 73.5 PERCENT HAD A VALID DISPOSITION DATE AND CODE ON THE ASAP MASTER FILE. THE DISPOSITION RATE WAS LOWER FOR 1976 ARRESTS, SINCE THESE CASES HAD A SHORTER TIME PERIOD TO BE CONCLUDED. THE DWI CONVICTION RATE FELL FROM 70.8 PERCENT IN 1972 TO 12.6 PERCENT IN 1975, WITH A CORRESPONDING RISE IN CASE DISMISSALS. INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED ON DWI ARRAIGNMENT ACTIVITY, THE MODE OF DWI DISPOSITION, PACT PARTICIPATION, AND PACT PROBLEM CASES. THE EFFICIENCY OF DWI ADJUDICATION WAS ASSESSED. MORE THAN ANY OTHER ASAP ACTIVITY, THE JUDICIAL COUNTERMEASURE IMPROVED RELATIVE TO BASELINE PERFORMANCE. ALTHOUGH THE ASAP-INDUCED INCREASE IN THE DWI ARREST RATE SEVERELY STRAINED THE ABILITY OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO PROCESS THE CASELOAD, THE LONG-TERM EFFECT WAS TO PROD THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO STREAMLINE THEIR OPERATIONS. THE END RESULT WAS A SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF DWI DEFENDANTS IN PHOENIX. SUPPORTING DATA ARE TABULATED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN A GLOSSARY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE TERMS, EXHIBITS, AND A GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)